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Roundup: Disappointment, concern, despair expressed following breakdown of Cyprus peace negotiations

Xinhua, November 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Both officials and laymen in Cyprus expressed deep disappointment and concern on Tuesday following the breakdown of the latest round of peace negotiations against all expectations.

The United Nations which brokers the reunification negotiations announced in the early hours of Tuesday that the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities had failed to achieve the necessary convergences on criteria for territorial adjustments that would have paved the way for the last phase of the talks.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said the Greek Cypriot side was very disappointed and not happy at all that "a very promising process" failed to reach a compromise.

He also expressed concern at the fact that the Turkish Cypriot side was quick to lay the blame on the Greek Cypriots for the impasse only moments after the talks ended in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland.

"We do not want to play the blame game. But the reference by the Turkish Cypriot side to maximalist positions by the Greek Cypriot side do not respond to reality," he said.

He added that the United Nations which followed the 18-month long process knew very well how the talks have had this outcome.

Greek Cypriot sources with inside knowledge of the negotiations were quoted by state radio as saying that the talks collapsed because the Turkish side refused to even enter into discussion about the return of Morphou, a town to which about 7,500 displaced people would return after reunification.

Turkish Cypriots control about 37 percent of the eastern Mediterranean island's territory, which was occupied by Turkish troops in 1974 in response to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

The sources said that Akinci insisted that Turkish Cypriots should keep 29.2 percent of the territory, and he did not move from his original position that about only 55,000 Greek Cypriots out of 170,000 displaced people would return to their properties from which they were evicted by the Turkish troops.

Former Attorney General Alecos Markides, who has had a long engagement in past negotiations for the reunification of Cyprus, said that he was afraid about a possible breakdown of the entire peace process.

He said it was noticeable that the UN statement made no reference to the continuation of the negotiations.

But the leaders of the two bigger Cypriot parties, DISY and AKEL, said that despite the setback, they would advocate whatever it takes to continue the negotiations.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who returned to Cyprus late on Tuesday, is expected to consult with party leaders on moves to resume the negotiations in Cyprus.

"President Anastasiades will review the situation and will take concrete decisions," his spokesman said.

He added that there is clearly a will and determination on the Greek Cypriot side to continue the effort. Endit